Dew on Bloody Leaves
by DipperTheSnakePerson
Summary: Thornpelt was dealt a rather mixed hand in life. The death of her brothers left her with a very overprotective mother and paranoid clanmates, but on the other paw she was slated to be the next deputy of Shadowclan. Desperate to prove herself capable she ends up stumbling into a plot that will darken the very stars themselves.
1. On Silent paws

**Disclaimer: This story is meant to be a rather short one, not some grand epic..because of this don't expect super long chapters but despite this I do hope you enjoy!**

**T for death and blood. It will be a fairly small story. No more than 10 chapters I imagine.**

Soundless paws touched the ground in front of Shadowclans nursery. The pale semi-transparent cat looked around, ears flickering once in a while. It was late at night and most cats were asleep in their dens, letting mice and other prey run through their dreams as they tossed and turned.

To live in fear of an empty stomach, the cats ears pinned back at the memory. Clan life was hard. Always battles to be fought, prey in constant need, and disease ready to claw at any cat weak enough to succumb. Bad memories edged themselves closer before being shaken away as the cat regained focus. No. He was here to do good. When he returned to the stars he would explain clearly what had happened… if he was caught.

It took great effort to appear to cats, and only a few were able to see them at a time. He was invisible to the guards and even the queens as he slipped in...but that was fine, he only needed to focus enough for the three bundles of fur to see him.

Three kittens were curled up against their mother.. One a grey tabby, another a white and black tom.. The final was a brown tabby she-cat. They were no more than 4 moons, each sleeping soundly, blissfully unaware of the cruel world around them.

He crouched down, nudging each one with a paw to stir them. The grey tom was the first, blinking green eyes with a confused yawn.

"I-I'm up… I'm up….but….. It's not morning yet?" He looked to his brother who also looked confused. The starclan tom stood up straight and finally opened his mouth.

"Hello kits….. I'm a starclan cat, and I have a very special mission for you." He paused. "Please, wake your sister up."

It took them a second to focus on him, eyes not sure of what they were seeing at first but once it clicked their mouths opened with awe. The black and white kit jumped on his sister who groaned.

"Hng-Puddlekit- its still night time...what are you doing?"

"Its a starclan cat! Here for us! W-We must be prophecy kits like the stories Dawnpelt told us!"

Thornkits eyes widened and she shot up, her brother falling off with an 'oof'.

The larger cat chuckled, tail curling in delight.

"Now, its top secret…. Only you three can do it… Are you ready for your mission from starclan itself?"

The two toms eagerly nodded but Thornkit paused, wary.

"Why can't we tell anyone?" She looked back at their mother before back to the cat with stars in their pelt.

"Because they would stop it." He inwardly flinched as that only seemed to worsen her doubt.

The two toms eagerly bound over however, turning to try and get their sister to join them.  
He looked down at the two before back out…. He only had so much time and if he spent too much of it trying to get Thornkit to come, it would ruin the whole thing. He couldn't save them all.

"If she won't come then I guess you two will get all the glory."

Thornkit crouched down, ears pinned back "I-I have a bad feeling about this"

Puddlekit and Cloudkit laughed at her before stopping to let the tom speak.

"Under the thorns is a small gap you guys can use to escape camp.. I'll meet you on the outside and guide you to where you're needed to fulfill your destiny. Any questions?"

"What is our destiny?"

"I can't tell you or else you may change it by accident."

The two nodded. Thornkit looked wary and turned to eye their mom. He bristled, it was now or never.

"Quickly now- this way"

Thornkit watched as the small starclan tom lead her brothers away… She hesitated to wake her mom and she hesitated to follow…. She wasn't meant to leave camp but this was a real starclan cat telling her! Eventually the choice was made for her as the three of them left sight and she slumped down. Great, her one chance for greatness and she blew it…. She shouldn't ruin it for the two of them, maybe they would still let her in on whatever great destiny was meant to be…. Or they would laugh at her and she would go down as the cat who was too scared to trust starclan in one of Dawnpelts stories. She gave a sniff. Stupid stupid stupid… She repeated to herself angrily until she drifted back to sleep, dreaming of missed glory.

'Thornkit! Thornkit wake up!" She felt a frantic paw jab at her and her head shot up. Her mother, Foxclaw, was staring at her with worry. "Where are your brothers?"

Thornkit opened her mouth but paused, was it really starclan? Or perhaps it had been a dream...but if Puddlekit and Cloudkit were gone then maybe it wasn't? She went to respond when the clans deputy, Stagheart, stepped in with a solemn look.

"Foxclaw… We found them. We smell fox on th-"

Foxclaw got up faster than Thornkit could move, letting out a small squeak when the fur behind her moved causing her to fall on her side. Foxclaw was out of the nursery faster than Thornkit could blink. She went to follow after but was stopped by a sandy coloured paw.

"You should stay in here Thornkit" Stagheart slowly blinked. "You don't need to be outside…to see them or...whats left"

Thornkit blinked in confusion but before she could rebuke, the blood curdling scream of her mother filled the air.


	2. A Song of Blood

Thornpelt stretched in the warm sunlight that covered the camp in scattered patches, rare but appreciated by the warriors within as a means to warm their bones. She had just gotten back from the dawn patrol and was now eagerly waiting for her turn to take something from the fresh kill pile, perhaps a nice juicy frog? She rolled her shoulders and looked around the camp as the elders ate their fill. They only had two of the older cats but it really should have been more... the clan was still recovering from the black cough that had ravaged it leading many cats to their deaths. Her ears pinned back as she thought it over. She and her brothers were the first kits to be born after the illness had left the nursery empty...a sign of hope and a better future... or so their mother said.

Her brothers... She didn't remember much about them other than the games they used to play and how Puddlekit always said he would be Puddlestar... She faintly recalled another cat there the night they died but couldn't qui-

"Thornpelt there you are! How was the patrol? You didn't get hurt did you?"

She couldn't contain a lash of her tail when she heard Foxclaw run towards her, eyes wide with worry.

"I'm fine...whats going to happen, I get bitten by a frog too many times?"

"You know what I mean." The orange and black she-cat sat beside her daughter and started to groom, much to the latter's dismay.

"I'm not a kit! You can stop treating me like one!"

Thornpelt had been a warrior for almost a moon now, the youngest one and the only new warrior for many moons seeing as only now had there been a few litters... but she was still a warrior! How could she ever hope to impress Coldstar when she couldn't be trusted to groom herself?

She turned and gave a small hiss.

"Look, I brought back prey...we did a quick patrol. Its fine! I swear if you keep babying me like this I'll run away to Riverclan"

Foxclaw couldn't hide the hurt expression and regret filtered into Thornpelts thoughts for a moment... She knew the lose of her brothers had hit her hard, but it was no excuse to treat her this way! She let her fur relax and slowly blinked.__

_Keep calm and collected like Stagheart._

"Foxclaw, its okay to worry... I get that, but you have to let me stretch my legs once in a moon..." She turned her head, giving the older cat a lick on the ear. "Otherwise they'll go stiff and I'll be put with the elders before I'm even half your age"

"And we wouldn't want that would we?" A flicker of Foxclaws humor came out as she chuckled, earning a purr from her kit. This was the mom Thornpelt missed...

"I'm off to see if any of the warriors need help hunting. Yowl if you need me."  
Thornpelt hurried off before so much as a chirp could be said, letting her legs guide her as her mind thought about her plans. She wanted to get an apprentice soon and by the time the first litter was ready she would be an obvious choice but she still wanted to be ready just in case there was some doubt. Was she being paranoid? Perhaps... but it didn't help everyone looked up to her as a sign of a healing clan. She knew she was going to almost every gathering coming up until the warrior den was more filled, they had to look strong incase Skyclan decided to make some trouble. It wasn't too much pressure, she was fine. fine!

"Ah Thornpelt, didn't you just come back from a patrol?"

"I feel up to leaving again" Or she just wanted to escape her mother but Birdsong didn't need to know that.

"if you insist... Just don't overwork yourself..okay?"

She gave a small nod, ignoring the ache in her paws as she rushed ahead. Birdsong was getting old but he was still able to keep up. Once they were far enough away from camp they slowed their pace, ears perked for any noise and nose keen for any smell.

"Thats...odd..."

Thornpelt turned to look at the grey tom with a confused mrr.

"We're far enough from camp that the only cats I should be able to smell is you but I could swear I smell..."

He was cut off as Thornpelt saw a little calico bundle of fur walking casually in a clearing up ahead.

"Shadekit!" Her heart dropped as she saw the shadow of a massive bird circling over the moon old kit. She and Birdsong raced over, Thornpelt roughly grabbing the scruff as she bolted, the little thing letting out a surprised angry mew. A yowl broke out behind her and she turned her head to see the eagle, angry at its would be meal being rescued had instead sunk its claws into the toms back. She wanted to race back and help him but couldn't in fear of Shadekit being caught instead.

"Get Shadekit back to camp-"

She closed her eyes, tightened her grip on the scruff and ran... Birdsong would be okay. He had to be.

As she ran she nearly tripped, for she could have sworn that in the bushes a semi-transparent cat glared at her..but it was gone as quick as she saw it, and she couldn't stop to check for Birdsong needed help.


End file.
